The Power of Kings
by TheNightRaven
Summary: After death, Lelouch finds himself in a strange new world: fighting humanoid machines that are NOT Knightmares, a new evil, and figures that only deepen the pain of his guilt. Can he free himself of his sins in this world? And second, what the hell is this Power of King- last time he checked, you didn't obtain Geass from a suspicious canister. Code Geass/Guilt Crown Crossover
1. Awakening

If I am correct, then this is the first Guilty Crown/Code Geass Crossover. I hope to bring interest to this category, as I can see the potential this stream has. Hopefully my work is good enough to light a spark for ideas in other people. Enjoy!

* * *

_I destroyed…and created the world….anew._

With those final words, Lelouch Lamperouge, better known as Lelouch vi Britannia, the Demon Emperor, closed his eyes; the last sight he saw was his beloved sister Nunnally, eyes wide and tears brimming. He felt a pang of guilt; she shouldn't be crying at his death. No, he had granted her wish, peace. Lelouch's thoughts drifted to the path he had taken, and the most painful parts of it. Jeremiah. The Black Knights. Kaguya. Euphie. Shirley. Suzaku. Kallen. Nunnally. People he would leave behind and people that he would join in death.

Crowds of people, Britannians and Elevens, no, Japanese cheered at the sight of the dead Emperor. Nobody could hear the cries of a girl crying and screaming for her dead brother. Nobody cared about the tears that fell from the famed pilot of the Guren. None of them could see the pained eyes and guilty tears of the masked Knight. People were naïve, cruel, ignorant, and at times were selfish. However, all humans have one thing in common: hope. Through this hope, the wish for the death of the Demon Emperor, the unsung hero Lelouch Lamperouge granted their wish.

Far off, in an abandoned church, where she had gained her eternal curse, a green haired woman shed her tears as well, her hands clutched in prayer. _If anyone can hear me and answer my prayers, I beg of you…let him be happy. Forgiven. Release him of his guilt. All humans make mistakes, and he made ultimately made up for it. _C.C looked up towards the stained glass window before her, with hopeful eyes. _Give him a chance of redemption. _ Perhaps her prayers were for naught. Deep within her heart, C.C knew that the collected consciousness would reject Lelouch from joining them. The fact that she couldn't do _anything _about it infuriated her. C's World had probably isolated Lelouch, leaving him in a state between life and death. A simple curse, but painful nonetheless. C.C laughed humorlessly. Years ago, she would have said there was no greater curse than living forever. And yet, she was proven wrong. To not be alive, but not dead either, and to continue existing in isolation. A true hell indeed.

The funeral for the Demon Emperor involved lots of celebrating. Jeremiah Gottwald was in charge of the precession, and he looked with disgust at the people gathered. Not that he showed it on his face of course. But the delight on these people's faces, how they would curse his lord, some even had tried to desecrate the coffin- HOW DARE THEY? The cyborg grit his teeth in anger and frustration, but felt a sense of respect to the body now deep within the earth. _Did you expect this, my lord? That these people you would save would curse your name, scorn you, and laugh in delight at your death? Yet you still followed through with the Zero Requiem. _Jeremiah turned to face the gravestone, a simple cross with the name _Lelouch vi Britannia_, and an inscription merely saying, "The 99th Emperor of Britannia." He bowed his head down, knelt to place several flowers before the grave. _Forgive me for not being able to assist you earlier. _

Within the few years, Empress Nunnally vi Britannia, along with Zero, the symbol of hope, had restored order to Britannia, abolishing the Numbers system completely and truly bringing world peace. Every year however, secretly, all those who knew the truth of the Zero Requiem and Lelouch's sacrifice would come together and mourn.

* * *

"Where am I?"

It is a rare sight to see Lelouch confused, but just about anyone would be stupefied at the sight before them. He was floating in a glass chamber filled with a green tinged liquid, all in all resembling a giant test tube. A breathing mask covered his mouth, and various wires were attached to his body. It took another few seconds for Lelouch to realize he was naked.

But that wasn't the point. He was supposed to be dead wasn't he? How was he here then? Gazing past the glass chamber, he realized he was in some sort of laboratory. Instrument panels lined the walls with computer monitors flashing with data. Beside his prison, a small monitor blipped, showing his vitals. Had someone saved him after the Zero Requiem? No, impossible. He and Suzaku had made sure that the sword would graze his heart, leading him to bleed out in seconds. It would be impossible for him to have survived.

But if that wasn't the case, where on earth was he?

As if luck was on his side, Lelouch noticed a calendar on the far wall. Perfect, now he could check the date. Squinting his eyes to see the numbers, he saw that some mysterious personnel had checked off the days, making it much easier for him. July….22….2010. He blinked. He checked again. Lelouch wasn't hallucinating. It was the year 2010.

_Impossible. _

The day he died had been late September. His mind rushed through various scenarios, but Lelouch still couldn't come to a conclusion to either of his questions. How was he alive? And how was he seemingly in the past?

_Kuso._

Lelouch moved his arm, or at least tried to. It twitched slightly, but that was it. He mentally swore. How the hell was he supposed to get out of here? That was his main priority. He prayed that there wouldn't be any more complications.

God seemed to hated Lelouch, as a second later Lelouch heard footsteps enter the room.

* * *

Tsutsugami Gai was not having a good day.

Well, he never does but that's not the point.

The Funeral Parlour had broken into an Antibody base after receiving info the Void Genome was being manufactured there, but it has been a trap. Within seconds of entering the building they had been surrounded by Endlaves, and worst of all, Kill-em-All Darryl. Immediately they had scattered, and were being hunted down one by one. Currently, Gai was backed up against a wall, using a mirror to gaze behind him. Two Endlaves were scouting the area, using their heat sensors to look for any intruders.

Quickly thinking, he took out a thin black and red rod the size of his palm. Clicking a button, a holographic screen appeared, and on display was a girl with long black hair, fake cat ears, and a tight fitting blue body suit.

"Tsugumi, brief me on the situation."

"Ayase just took down five Endlaves, but she lost an arm in the process. Oogumo is in a good position with Argo, they're helping our members evacuate. Kyo is in the ventilation system, she's still going for the Void Genome, and-"

Gai cut her off. "Tell Kyo to come back, there's no guarantee that it'll be here. What about Inori?"

"Umm…Gai, you're not going to like this," Tsugumi mumbled, looking away.

"Tsugumi," he said, causing her to flinch at his tone. "Where's Inori?" The computer specialist pursed her lips, and pretended to zip it shut and throw the key away childishly. This only infuriated Gai, who gave her a hard stare. She turned her head pompously, causing Gai's eye to twitch in irritation.

"…Tell me _Black Swan. Now._"

"Inori told me not too!" Tsugumi stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

Gai palmed his face. This was one of the best hackers in Japan? He let out an exaggerated sigh, before threatening, "I'll take away Funell from you for a month."

"Okay fine! She's heading to the Antibody laboratory!"

"…." For a moment, he was speechless. She cracked rather quickly. Second, "…tell her to get the hell out of here, _right now_. What the hell is she thinking?" Tsugumi winced at his tone, before nodding and quickly disconnected the feed. She was not going to try to keep anything from Gai again. Ever. Although that was something she should have learned long ago.

Gai sighed in annoyance, and angered, before grabbing his assault rifle. Quickly checking the mirror again, his eyes widened when he saw an Endlave aim its cannon straight at the wall he was hiding behind. The wall exploded into rubble just as he rolled out of the way. The second Endlave opened fire on him, forcing him to dive under the hail of bullets. The leader of Funeral Parlour started to run in the direction opposite of the Endlaves, only to see two more in his path. He turned again, only to see two more taking position.

Within seconds, six Endlaves had him surrounded. Only one word ran through his head:

_Shit._

All six machines raised their weapons, ready to shoot. Gai looked around desperately for anything he could use, but there was nothing. Until magically one of the Endlaves exploded. Blinking in confusion, he looked up to see a large man with a bazooka mounted on his shoulder. The bear like man gave him a thumbs up before taking aim at another Endlave.

Gai smiled in thanks, before dashing through the opening Oogumo made. Another Endlave tried to maneuver around him and aim, but Gai speedily jumped onto the foot and climbed up onto its back. The machine spun around, trying to shake him off, but Gai held on and wedged the barrel of his rifle through two plates of the armouring. Pulling the trigger, a quick hail of bullets drove through into the circuitry, causing the Endlave to cease functioning.

Jumping off, he dramatically walked away just as the machine exploded into flames. _I hope Inori doesn't get in trouble…again._

Somewhere else in the base, a pink haired girl sneezed. "Ah," she muttered, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "I bet you Gai is talking about me again." She spoke in a neutral voice, barely containing any emotion. She hummed a song as she walked, although it wasn't a happy one. It was a slow, somewhat haunting melody, full of regret and sadness.

She was wearing a regular Funeral Parlour uniform, with black pants, jacket, and their symbol stitched into the jacket. What distinguished her from the rest was the purple scarf wrapped around her neck, one end simply dangling to the side. Her shoulder length pink hair was tied back with an elegant black ribbon, keeping it out of her eyes.

"Now, where was that laboratory?"

Inori didn't know why she was headed there. All she knew was that something called her to this area, but she didn't know what. Eventually she came to a dead end, with two doors labelled 'Laboratory 1' and 'Laboratory 2.' Deciding to go on whim, she turned the knob on the door leading to 1, and was momentarily surprised to find it unlocked. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. _Strange for it to be unlocked…unless there's someone in here._ She took out a handgun, and cocked it back.

Running inside, she took in her surroundings: three men in lab coats coat stuffing papers into a bag and throwing others into a garbage bin, which had been set on fire. Before they noticed her, she took aim at one of them and fired. The bullet struck him in the back of the head, causing him to keel over, dead. At the sound, the other two turned towards the source, only to get shot down as well. After the threats had been taken care of, Inori examined the room she was in. Metal walls surrounded her, with various surgical instruments laid out on tables. Inori felt her lunch (onigiri) coming up when she saw that they glistened with fresh blood. Whatever experiment they had done here, it had been recent.

A green light caught her attention, and she immediately marched towards its direction, careful to dodge the blood pooling on the floor. Coming closer, she realized there was a cylindrical glass chamber at the back, with a greenish liquid filling it to the brim. It was massive, reaching from the floor and attaching to the ceiling. But what completely stunned the girl was the fact a person floated in the chamber, dark violet eyes staring straight at her.

* * *

Lelouch stared impassively at the girl, determining whether she was an enemy or not. Her hair caught his attention immediately; a light pink colour that reached down to her shoulders. His eyes softened. With her hair and her innocent features, he could have mistaken her for Euphemia. Which was impossible, since Euphemia li Britannia died…by his own hand. A stinging sensation struck his eyes, and it took Lelouch a moment to realize he was crying, or at least, his body was trying to. Mentally, he laughed at the irony. Here he was, the Demon Emperor, crying. It seemed that he retained much of his humanity after all.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when he noticed the girl had aimed her firearm at his prison. Eyes widened in panic, only to relax when the girl fired upwards, the bullet puncturing the glass. The green fluid began to leak out, and then the glass shattered all together. Lelouch found himself slowly floating down with the water to the floor, far too weak to move. Momentarily cursing his physical disability, he looked up to see the girl reaching out her hand. Her fingers were elegant and she had rose nail polish on, he randomly noticed. Those same digits pried the oxygen mask of his face, and tossed it aside carelessly.

"Um…who are you?" She stared at him curiously, as if he was an unidentified creature.

"…" Lelouch didn't answer. One, he found himself unable to, as his throat felt tremendously hoarse, and secondly, he was baffled by the girl's answer. Had she really just rescued him without knowing who he was? A sense of nostalgia rushed over him, and the image of a brown haired male popped into his head. Great. This girl was reminding of Euphie _and _Suzaku. From her actions he could deduce that she was a trustworthy person. And second, she spoke Japanese. Lelouch didn't look like someone who could speak Japanese, so for her to communicate with him in that language first meant it was probably her first language.

In short, he was probably somewhere in Japan.

His original questions were still unanswered…shit.

The girl, not receiving an answer, had gone ahead and grabbed a white lab coat from God knows where, and draped it around his shoulders. The sudden warmth had jolted Lelouch, making him realize that he had been shivering. Giving the girl a small nod in thanks, he attempted to stand, but couldn't even crouch. Seeing his inability, the girl crouched beside him and wrapped her arm around his waist. Lelouch unconsciously shivered at the contact, having not been exposed to it for a while he guessed. If he recalled, the last time another person touched him was…Nunnally…

The former leader of the Black Knights shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts. Now wasn't the time. The girl slowly rose, lifting him with her. His legs wobbled, and he felt incredibly weak, but Lelouch steeled himself and managed to stand up. Guiding him, the girl led him towards the door of the laboratory, watching out for any glass on the floor. Strangely, the girl wasn't wearing any shoes either, he noticed, as she nimbly step sided any shards, almost like a dancer. Or maybe he was delusional. How did one look like a dancer when they were supporting another person who weighed more than them?

At that thought, Lelouch gave a small frown, glancing at his stomach. He could see the outline of his ribs much more than he remembered. When was the last time he'd eaten? Again, he was torn out of his worries when he saw the lights ahead. He and the girl had landed in the hallway of some building, and he could see explosions and hear gunfire ahead. Frowning in confusion, he jerked his head towards the fire, hoping the girl would understand. Thankfully, she did.

"Right now, Funeral Parlour is fighting the Antibodies." Funeral Parlour? Antibodies? More questions to be answered. "We're trying to retreat right now, so we have to hurry a bit, okay?" Her voice was so quiet that Lelouch almost couldn't hear her over the sounds. Managing a grunt in response though, the two of them continued to trudge down the dark hall in silence.

After what seemed like hours of agonizing marching, a static sound signaled the use of a walkie-talkie. Lelouch's eyes snapped to the girl's hand, which held the communication device to her ear.

"Inori? Inori can you hear me? This is Gai. If you hear me, answer. Over."

So the girl's name was Inori huh? Somewhat fitting…although he didn't know what kanji her name used so he didn't know the real meaning. And this 'Gai' character…Lelouch assumed he was the leader of Funeral Parlour. He laughed silently at the coincidence. The entire situation was far too similar to the Prince of Britannia.

"Gai? This is Inori. I'm heading to Point Beta right now. I rescued a person from the laboratory; I don't know who he is. Waiting for further orders, over."

_What?_

He was the _Demon Emperor_ for crying out loud! And she didn't know who he was? Impossible! Unless he'd been in some preservation device for a few centuries…that could explain his physical weakness and fatigue. As well as lack of food. However, the walkie-talkie Inori had used was a similar model to the ones he had used during his time as Zero. IF he'd been in stasis, technology should have been far more advanced than this. Pondering these seemingly unanswerable questions irked Lelouch. He needed more information. And in his current state, gathering data was nearly impossible.

_Fuck_. For once in a long while, Lelouch felt pathetically weak.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Don't worry, I promise it will get better in future chapters, and Shu will make his appearance. Right now, the time period is before Shu ran into Funeral Parlour. Please, R&R. NightRaven, out.


	2. Ascension

Chapter Two, here we are! It's a rather quick update due to very little homework :D Hope you guys enjoy! And it is a LOT longer so I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Successfully, all members of Funeral Parlour managed to meet at Point Beta, hidden from sight in a nearby forest. All equipment was loaded onto trucks and they were ready to get out of the area. The only thing that was holding them up was Inori and her…friend.

"Where is she?" Gai mumbled to himself. Ayase looked at him worriedly, and rolled her wheelchair over to him. He didn't notice her until she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Inori will be fine. She can take care of herself you know," she told him. Her attempt at comfort didn't do much however, as Gai's worried expression didn't disappear.

"It's not just because she's in danger Ayase. We don't know _anything_ about the person we just rescued. Is he an enemy? An ally? Why was he in the GHQ laboratory? So many questions unanswered." A sudden warmth filled his hand, and he looked down to see Ayase had intertwined her fingers with his.

She gave him a comforting smile. "Inori is a good judge in character you know? I doubt she would have rescued him if she hadn't seen something in him." At that point, Gai let himself smile a bit. That was indeed true. "We can only hope whoever she rescued will be able to help us against GHQ in the future." If only she knew.

Suddenly a crackling sound broke the quiet atmosphere, and Tsugumi ran out of a trailer with a communication device in hand. "Guys! Inori is in danger!"

Heads snapped towards the female hacker, who took a moment to compose herself. "She's at Point Theta right now, but there's Endlaves surrounding the entire area. I don't know how they managed to track her down, but they're closing in on her."

"Fuck." Argo's one word summed the entire situation. "Is there an escape route for her anywhere?"

Tsugumi shook her head. " The sewer system is collapsed where she is, and there's a limited amount of places she can hide before they track her through thermal detection. And with the guy she's carrying, she's only slowed down more."

"Tell her to ditch him!" The opinion of a member of Funeral Parlour stirred several others, who looked as if they shared the same view, as some of them nodded in agreement.

"Inori won't do that," Oogumo retorted. "It's one of her good and bad qualities-loyalty."

"Tsugumi," Argo asked. "Do we have enough shit to go through with a rescue operation?"

Ayase answered, "My Endlave's right arm is gone, and we're running low on ammunition. We don't have the man force either." Silence grew among them, pondering on the situation. Gai's fists were clenched in anger, his eyes cold as steel.

"Retreat."

His command let out yells of surprise and anger from the other members. However, nobody questioned his order.

"Retreat," he repeated. "Gather supplies again. Once we have enough power we'll rescue Inori. They won't kill her or the prisoner. Most likely they'll be questioned for information. So they won't die." His tone changed to the voice of Gai they all knew- they leader of the Undertakers. "We have approximately two days. Fall back, and we'll come right back at the to take what's ours. Understood?"

Slowly but gradually, more members agreed with Gai's words and began loading the rest of their equipment

The haunting sound of the walkie-talkie broke the mood. "Gai! This is Inori. They're planning to move us to another base if we manage to get captured. They're sending at least fifteen Endlaves to your position right now. What now?"

An eerie silence grew among the Undertakers. Argo slammed his fist down onto the hood of a truck. _"FUCK!"_

Gai snarled in anger, his expression resembling that off a wild beast's, before grabbing a gun and marching off towards the white GHQ building in the distance. "Gai!" Ayase yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Rescuing Inori! The rest of you, retreat back to the Loop 7 Base. Don't come after me." And with those, he parted, running off into the forest.

Oogumo rumbled, "As if." The bear like man grabbed his rocket launcher and chased after their leader.

Grinning, Argo grabbed a gun himself and ran after. "Cheh. As if I'll miss out on this!" As if the ice had been broken, the rest of the Undertakers roared and chased after their leader, grabbing any weapons they could. Despite being low on ammunition and other supplies, the loyalty of this so called terrorist group was astounding.

Tsugumi looked at the commotion and could only smile.

* * *

_Well…great. _

Lelouch stared at a grey wall with narrowed eyes, very frustrated. Not a moment after he and Inori had exited the 'GHQ' base, they had been surrounded by Endlaves. In his opinion, Endlaves were a Poor Man's version of a Glasgow. With limited movement, weaponry, and_ terrible _pilots, they wouldn't last a _second_ in a battle with Knightmares.

Continuing to stare at the wall that remained silent, mocking him in his own way, Lelouch let out a sigh. After their capture, they'd been taken to a trailer which conveniently had a miniature prison cell built in. The iron bars weren't rusted at all, and the walls were relatively clean, making it seem as if the cell was new- if it hadn't been for the blood stained floor. Seeing blood after what seemed like years had made him feel a bit nostalgic, which irked him a little. Nostalgic over blood? He felt slightly disgusted with himself. Drawing his attention away from the cruel wall, he looked down at the floor.

The blood was dry, and would crumble at the touch of his fingers. It seemed the cell hadn't held a prisoner for a long time, and the blood was probably left untouched as an intimidation factor. Lelouch snorted in amusement. Blood wouldn't scare him, his own hands were drenched in the stuff after all. Images flashes through his head: a girl with waist long pink hair, another with brownish orange. Instantly Lelouch's throat fell dry, and he could hear the beating of his own heart.

When would he be free of this guilt? Possibly never. The former Demon Emperor was broken out of his thoughts when he heard Inori speak.

"You haven't seen blood in a while." It wasn't a question. Lelouch was slightly impressed by her observation skills. At her new attire however, Lelouch arched an eyebrow. The pink haired girl had discarded her black jacket for him to wear, and had taken off her rather baggy pants for him as well. Lelouch had blushed when she had done so, and almost told her to take them back until he saw that thankfully she was wearing something underneath.

It was a rather odd uniform, a leotard with different colours, with the bright fiery red being the most prominent colour. Wide sleeves allowed for ease of movement, black leggings covered up to her thighs. Red and orange spoilers were attached to her arms and waist, giving her an impression of a phoenix. Lelouch was careful to maintain eye contact with her though, and not drift his gaze downwards. Her entire stomach was left bare, and her…assets were covered just barely, leaving little to the imagination. If there was one thing the Demon Emperor feared, it was women. Milly and Kallen had driven it into him that they could be devious and vengeful at the same time. Subconsciously he shivered in fear.

Taking a moment to think of an answer, he replied, "It appears so, as I myself have no guess on how long I was in that chamber before you rescued me. By the way, thank you."

Inori nodded, and hugged her knees to her chest, attempting to keep herself warm. The cell wasn't the warmest place, and with her entire stomach left uncovered, it was no miracle that she was cold. Being the gentleman he was, Lelouch reached for the discarded lab coat in the corner and covered her with it like a blanket. Slowly but gradually, his strength was returning. All he needed now was a nice rest with something to eat.

"Why were you in the chamber?" The question made him pause in thought.

"To be honest with you, I don't know."

Seemingly undeterred, she questioned him again. "Where are you from?"

"Britannia."

"Where?" Her frown of confusion caused Lelouch to panic a bit. How? How did someone not know about the Holy Empire of Britannia? The strongest superpower of the world?

"Inori," he spoke, his expression calm. However, Lelouch could feel his heart beat painfully against his chest, his mind going haywire. "I need you to explain the last century to me. All of it. Skip over the minor details, what's happened over the past century?"

Inori stared at him quizzically, before shrugging slightly and recited everything she knew about this world. Lelouch listened patiently to what she had to say, and his eyes widened at the news of the Apocalypse Virus.

"December 25th, Lost Christmas. The pandemic of the Apocalypse Virus struck across Japan in an instant. A lot of people died. UN formed an organization here, GHQ, to deal with the virus and stabilize Japan. Now, they're literally in charge of Japan. Anybody who can't afford the vaccine or medical help is forced to survive in abandoned areas. And then…" Inori paused for a moment, a sad look on her face as she looked down at the floor.

Lelouch gave her a questioning frown. "Then? What happens to them?" _Oh hell no, don't tell me-_

"GHQ hunts them down like dogs…slaughters them…with the excuse that the virus will spread to others." Finishing her talk, she waited momentarily for an answer. When receiving none, she turned her gaze from the floor to Lelouch, and her shoulders stiffened at the sight.

The son of Marianne the Flash's fist were clenched so tightly that his nails were digging into his palms, causing them to bleed. The red liquid dripped down onto the floor, repainting the floor. His shoulders were trembling, in anger or sadness, Inori couldn't tell at first. When she saw his face however, her expression didn't change. But deep inside, the EGOIST vocalist felt an emotion she hadn't felt in a long time: _fear._

Lelouch's right eye was closed, tears rolling down his cheek. He used to be _Zero_! The man of miracles! He who defied fate? And yet…he would never, _ever_, see Nunnally again. Not when he was in a different world!

His left eye was what made Inori back away from him. It was filled with determination, anger, intelligence, cruelty, and madness, giving Lelouch a crazed look. Inori felt a sense of dread rush over her. Exactly what had was he? Perhaps this was what GHQ wanted from him? This power?

In the centre of Lelouch's eye, glowing and pulsing with power was a very familiar bird sigil.

The sound of the door open drew both of their attentions. A soldier wearing the regular uniform of the Antibodies, a white suit and helmet was standing at the prison door. The keys were still in the lock, and a rifle was aimed at both of them.

"Stand up and walk. No funny business," the soldier said in a hurried tone, looking over his shoulder.

Lelouch and Inori both frowned slightly in confusion, before getting up onto their feet and walking towards the entrance. From his belt, the soldier removes a pair of handcuffs and locks Inori's right hand to Lelouch's left. Unseen, Lelouch bit his lip in amusement. Did the soldier seriously think that was going to be effective? Inori's gun was hidden in the inner pocket of his jacket, due to GHQ operatives not bothering to do a search, and Inori had a knife sheathed along her forearm.

The soldier led them out of the cell, and opened the side hatch to the outside world. Upon seeing the environment, Inori let out a small gasp.

It was nighttime, with the sky dark and no moon in the sky. Explosions boomed across the sky, and gunfire was heard every few seconds. Fires littered the ground, and collapsed buildings blocked roadways and rubble piled on the streets. Lelouch had no expression however, used to the sight. _This is getting really nostalgic. _Two more soldiers trekked behind them, forcing Lelouch to recalculate.

That was no longer the case when suddenly the moved, pushing Lelouch and Inori out of the way and shooting the soldier in front of them. Blood splattered across Lelouch's face, and he hissed in annoyance, wiping some of it off.

Removing their helmets, the soldiers revealed themselves to be Japanese, members of Funeral Parlour. "Inori!" One of them exclaimed her name, smiling. "Glad you're safe. Come on, Gai's waiting." The other Undertaker grabbed the keys from the dead soldier's belt and unlocked the handcuff, releasing the bind. Lelouch massaged his wrist a bit, which had a red line around it due to the cuff.

The girl nodded, and the four of them broke off into a jog-well, Lelouch was dragged-and made off into an alleyway. It seemed like an intricate maze, as they turned left and right almost randomly, never coming into the open again. When they did, they seemed to be in the middle of a park, or what used to be a park. Most of it was destroyed, and the wings of the angles on the fountain were cut off. Lelouch almost laughed at the imagery. _Wings…losing their freedom, their independence. How fitting for the situation. _Most of the fighting between…the Undertakers and GHQ was far off in the distance, so they seemed to be safe for now.

The other Undertaker removed a walkie-talkie from his belt and handed it to Inori, who took it and held it close to her ear so she could hear better. Though there was no need, as all of them could hear the voice that spoke.

"Inori. Glad you're safe." The voice was male, and Lelouch correctly guessed that this was Gai- the leader of the Undertakers. So far, the former anti-hero was impressed with the man's actions. He was a _capable _tactician, although he lacked a bit of originality.

"Gai," Inori stated simply. Lelouch frowned a bit in thought. Now that he thought about it, the girl's bluntness reminded him a lot of a certain green haired with. His eyes widened at the thought. If Inori happened to love pizza, he prayed for the person who had to pay for all of it.

"We'll clear a path for you. Take the sewers and head back to our base." The call ended, and Inori handed it back to the fake soldier. But he shook his head and gestured for her to keep it with her. The four of them started walking again, something Lelouch was grateful for. He glared at the two dressed up Undertakers. Had they been trying to kill him with all that running?

The next thing he knew, Lelouch was flying, his ears ringing in pain. He impacted with the ground, letting out a gasp of pain, winded. Tumbling for a few moments, before he came to a stop, Lelouch quickly got back up and turned to see a blue-green machine about a hundred meters away, looking in their direction. Suddenly, it speeded towards his direction. Reacting, Lelouch turned and seeing Inori getting onto her feet, dashed towards her and grabbed her arm. Her eyes widened in confusion, before Lelouch pointed towards the Endlave that was coming towards them.

Understanding quickly, the two of them started running in the opposite direction, passing by the bloodied corpses of the two Undertakers that had helped them. Although it was a saddening sight, Lelouch didn't feel a pang of regret or guilt. _Of course…I did lose my humanity when I ascended as the Demon Emperor._ He and Inori made quick haste towards the city area again, the battle machine gaining distance.

Inori pointed to an abandoned apartment building. "There!" She dragged Lelouch to it before he could say that not only was it a bad idea, it was a _terrible _idea. But he didn't get to complain as he was manhandled by Inori into the building and slowly up the dark stairs. The entire walk up was exhausting, but he managed to keep up with Inori. He had no idea why she was trying to get high ground. The Endlaves could fire missiles at the base and then the entire thing would collapse!

When they finally reached the roof, Lelouch collapsed onto the ground and took deep, raspy breaths. The pain in his lungs was horrendous, and he gave a small glare to the pink-head; who didn't seem to notice, instead staring at the sky. Far off in the distance, explosions could be heard and seen, as mushroom clouds erupted from the ground. Specks of light that was gunfire could be seen as well. And the worst part was that the Endlave was waiting right in front of the apartment, ready to fire.

Fuck.

"Inori," Lelouch said, choosing his words carefully, "you know that this was a bad idea. Why are we here?"

For a moment she didn't answer. Instead, she gazed up towards the moonless sky, her soft, ruby eyes soft and full of sadness. Feeling a bit awkward, Lelouch remained silent and stared up at the sky as well, waiting for an answer.

Finally, she answered, "Before I want to die, I want to do what I enjoy most."

Lelouch frowned in disappointment. "Don't give up so quickly. Trust me-I'll get you out of here."

Shaking her head, Inori gave him a small smile. It was a twitch of her lips, but still, a smile. "Funeral Parlour is low on supplies. They'll fall soon. Even now, GHQ is sending more and more Endlaves for overkill. So, before my friends…" She paused, a look of contemplation on her face. "No…my family…before my family dies, and I with them, I want to do one last thing."

"And what would that be?"

"Gazing at the night sky…and singing."

"Singing? What do you-"

And with her words, she began to _sing_.

Lelouch froze at the melody. A chill ran down his spine at the lyrics, and his tensed shoulders began to relax as he listened. Closing his eyes, he listened to Inori's beautiful voice as she sung her melody.

_Saita no no hana yo _

_Aa douka oshiete okure_

He didn't want to see any more pain from those close to him.

_Hito wa naze kizutsukeatte _

_Arasou no deshou_

He remembered his promise to Nunnally, as she had folded that paper crane.

_Rin to saku hana yo _

_Soko kara nani ga mieru_

_ "Nunnally, what is it that you wish for?"_

_Hito wa naze yurushiau koto_

_ "Hmm…I wish the world was peaceful big brother!"_

_Dekinai no deshou_

_ "I promise you Nunnally, I'll make the world peaceful, just for you."_

Lelouch's eyes snapped open with determination. This world…this new world he was in…there was still pain. Violence. Hatred. Death. And hadn't he promised Nunnally that he would bring the world peace? Standing up, Lelouch looked at the world. Collapsed buildings. Gunfire. Explosions. This was _not peace_. Letting out a small chuckle, he closed his eyes. Gradually, he couldn't hold it in and burst into full out laughter. He hadn't fulfilled his promise yet. **His job was unfinished**. Lelouch opened his eyes gain, and held his head up high. Turning on his heel, he walked to Inori, who eyed him carefully.

"Inori…I will show you a miracle." She didn't respond, so he continued. "I need you to tell the members of Funeral Parlour to follow my orders. And tell me about those Endlaves and how they work."

This time, he would do it _right_.

* * *

"Eh! Inori, you need me to explain how the Endlave system works to him?"

"Yes Ayase. He says its crucial information if we want to save everybody."

"Sorry Inori but…" The Endlave pilot paused. "How do you know he can really pull this off? Gai can't do anything, so what makes you think he can perform this so called 'miracle?'"

"…Ayase. I've seen his eyes. They're full of emotion. Opposite of mine. Regret. Sadness. Despair. Guilt. He's seen death far too many times Ayase." Inori paused for a moment, before giving Ayase the kicker. "I think he'll do anything to make sure he doesn't see any more before he snaps."

* * *

"So it's a long range system utilizing the nervous system huh?" Lelouch said, not really to anyone. He grinned savagely. "Excellent. This makes things much more easier. Now, I just need to now the supplies."

"Lelouch?"

"Yes Inori?"

"Oogumo says they have five shots for the rocket launcher left."

"Good. Tell the Undertakers to draw the Endlaves towards this building."

"Okay…all members, lead the Endlaves to the apartment building northwest of the park, and hold positions."

"Inori." It was Gai speaking. "You do know if his plan fails then we all…"

"I know Gai. I know."

* * *

It was time.

Lelouch stood on the roof, looking down impassively on the army of Endlaves before him. There were at least thirty of them, all in rows, with their guns aimed at him. Behind him, he could hear a voice on the walkie-talkie, saying, "I don't get it. Why aren't they shooting?"

Lelouch grinned. _The commanders of the GHQ are quite arrogant. They think they hold all the pieces in this. Unfortunately, for them, I learned long ago, that battle cannot be played like a game._

"GHQ!" He yelled. "Before you kill me, answer me two questions!"

Crouched behind a building, Gai nearly choked in shock. "What the hell? What is he planning? Friendly talk? Damn it, we're all screwed."

When the Endlaves didn't answer, Lelouch continued. "Tell me, who in this world possesses the right to kill others? To slaughter them? The mercy, the weak, the innocent? Who is it that has the right to judge their deaths?"

A metallic voice answered him, coming from one of the Endlaves. "Those of superiority of course! Japan _belongs_ to GHQ! We can do whatever we want with it!" At that, the Undertakers snarled and glared at the machine.

"I will presume you are the commander?" Lelouch stated in an amused voice. "Very well then. Second question. If there is an evil in this world, what would you do to defeat it? Through justice?"

"Of course!" the voice answered cockily. "In the name of justice, we will destroy anything that is a threat!"

Lelouch scoffed silently. "That is false justice you are utilizing. But that is not the point. And if this so called justice of yours fails? Will you continue to rebel? Use other means? Or simply bow down to your fate?"

The voice didn't answer for several moments, before it roared in anger. "Our justice is NOT FALSE! And if it fails, we will continue to use it, for that is THE WAY OF TRUTH!"

There was no answer from Lelouch. At first, it seemed as though he was in shock, and had given up. Gai examined the man on the roof. _What will he do now?_ Suddenly, Lelouch hunched over, his hand covering his mouth. Trembling, he threw his head back and let out sadistic laughter. The leader of Funeral Parlour suddenly felt very, very afraid for some reason. Looking down, he saw that his own hands were trembling. His eyes widened, and he looked back towards the scene. Who was this man?

The Endlaves were in a similar position. Some had lowered their weapons in confusion, while others prepared to fire, thinking that he was planning something.

"Very well. If those are your answers then I will not be one to judge. However," Lelouch said, a mad smile plastered on his face. "I wouldn't use justice to quench the evil. No, to fight this evil I would commit THE GREATER EVIL!" His words struck the hearts of all the people listening, sending chills down their spines. Such madness…with the blazing fires off in the distance, Lelouch's violet eyes seemed to be glowing with insanity.

"And second," he continued, lowering his voice. "The only ones that should kill…are those THAT ARE PREPARED TO BE KILLED!"

That was the key phrase. Inori yelled into the walkie-talkie. "Everybody! DON'T LOOK INTO HIS EYES!" Gai's eyes widened at Inori's desperate cries, something she had never done before, and quickly averted his gaze. Seeing Gai do so, the other members of the Funeral Parlour followed his example and turned away from Lelouch.

Lelouch's eyes glowed for real this time, and in both of his violet eyes a glowing bird sigil appeared, red, and pulsed with power. The Endlaves below all aimed their weapons and prepared to fire. However, it was too late.

"Obey me! **LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA COMMANDS YOU: _DIE_**!"

Silence.

And then one by one, the Endlaves lowered their weapons and seemingly surrendered. The members of Funeral Parlour watched in horror and fascination as the battle machine saluted Lelouch. "YES! YOUR HIGHNESS!" A screeching sound could be heard as all thirty of the Endlaves fired their missiles into the air. Lelouch watched with satisfaction as they flew high into the sky, before descending back down.

_**BOOM!**_

He covered his eyes with his arm as the heat passed over him, the wind pushing him back slightly. A massive mushroom cloud formed, the bright fireball illuminating the area. As it dissipated, all that remained were charred black pieces of scrap metal. And if he had to guess, somewhere in the GHQ base the pilots were attempting suicide. Turning on his heel, Lelouch gave a small, genuine smile to Inori, who was kneeling on the ground, her eyes wide.

"Who…who _are you?_" she asked, shuddering in fear.

Still smiling, he answered, "I am a man of many names. Prince. Vice-President. Hero. Zero. Brother. Leader. Son. Emperor. And Demon Emperor." Lelouch offered her a hand. "But you can just call me Lelouch."


	3. Acknowledgement

**AN SORRY I DIDN'T GIVE A CHRISTMAS UPDATE! But I was busy eating food :D Jokes, jokes. I'm here in Toronto, and a blackout hit my place pretty bad. The internet cable snapped cause of a falling tree and I was out of power, until a few days ago. This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter, but a bit of character development and discussions between Gai and Lelouch.**

* * *

Currently, Lelouch wasn't in the most pleasant situation.

Although, it was rather difficult for one to find themselves comfortable when they were strapped to a chair with three people surrounding them….did I mention they each held a gun in his face?

His wrists were strapped to the armrests, and they used duct tape of all things to mummify him to the back! _Well…I did use duct tape to repair several Knightmares….and tie up several prisoners of war,_ he thought absentmindedly. Hell, he was pretty sure Rakshata of all people had used it too! Not for repairing her children of course, that was a sin in her eyes. If he recalled, she'd used it on Lloyd Asplund as a prank and hung him from a flagpole. He snickered, drawing weird looks from his guards.

The sound of a door opening caught his attention, as a long haired man with tinted glass walked in. Lelouch couldn't really tell what colour his hair was, due to the Undertakers forcing him to wear sunglasses. Really unfashionable and uncomfortable ones too. Dragging a chair, the man plopped down on it in front of Lelouch. _Great, an interrogation. Well, it's something I would have done as well…scratch that, I have Geass. No need for duct tape._

Shibungi examined the teen…no man, in front of him. Even with the glasses, he could see that this was no mere child. Those eyes held too much grief, pain, and wisdom to belong to a child. Although it seemed that he was trying to hide it with a face of indifference, his shoulders relaxed with a sense of confidence. The visage would have tricked most people, but not Shibungi. No, the man had also seen far too many horrors in life to fall for the illusion.

"Your name," he began, "Inori tells me it is _Lelouch_, is that correct?"

Lelocuh's eyes narrowed. The man didn't look like someone who would make pleasant talk. More likely, he was trying to get him to relax to get more answers easily. Not happening. "And what of it."

The boy wasn't bad, Shibungi admitted. He'd seen through his ploy almost immediately. "It is a rather odd name, even for a foreigner."

"What makes you think I'm a foreigner?"

"I for one, have never seen someone with natural purple eyes."

Lelouch, smirking, countered smugly, "Well, I for one, have never seen someone who hasn't hit their sixties or fifties with silver hair." Well, he was lying…but Mao, that bastard, was dead anyways so who cared if he lied about him?

Shibungi's eye slightly twitched when the grunts guarding Lelouch snickered. "Anyways, I didn't come for pleasant talk-"

"Interrogations are never about pleasant talk," Lelouch deadpanned, sweat dropping. His lips curled into a frown when Shibungi chuckled slightly.

"Touché. Nevertheless, I have to get my answers."

"Is there any torture involved?"

"That would put us at the same level as GHQ," Shibungi answered, readjusting his glasses. Lifting himself from the chair, he gave Lelouch a distrustful glare. "As of now, Tsugumi is _still_ looking for records of you in GHQ's system. You have no record, no sign of existing at all. Perhaps you were a lab rat that GHQ created, but that is impossible as they have never would have created a weapon that could be used against their own Endlaves. Also, mind control technology is something more of a dream."

Lelouch gave him a disbelieving expression. "And giant mechanical robots that are controlled remotely though human minds aren't?"

"That brings me to another point. Inori tells me you were slightly surprised at the sight of the Endlaves."

"Which brings you to a simple conclusion," Lelouch said. His tone was full of amusement. "If I happened to be someone who wasn't surprised very easily, then yes, it was a simple jolt for me. However, since Endlaves are a common sight in this area, Roppongi I believe?" At Shibungi's nod, he continued. "Due to the Apocalypse Virus, GHQ created these machines to quarantine Japan. For me to be surprised by the sight of them would be rather odd?" The lack of an answer told Lelouch he had hit it straight on. "Therefore, you can deduce that I am familiar with these machines, however, in a different form, correct?"

"I must admit, I am impressed." Shibungi nodded his head in acknowledgement. "This situation very well reminds me of Sherlock Holmes, between himself and Moriarty. The question is," Shibungi said, gesturing to Lelouch, "do you consider yourself Sherlock? Or are you Moriarty?"

Lelouch gave him a small shrug in response. "Considering I'm the unknown, I could be Moriarty. But you're the one who has three guns straight at my face, and considering the villain usually holds all the cards in his hands, you could be considered Moriarty." Another shrug. "Well, it doesn't matter really. I'm in your debt for rescuing me from that lab."

"I prefer chess, rather than card games."

At his words, Lelouch's face lit up. "Ah, chess. I do prefer it myself. However, both games require a bit of luck do they not?"

Shibungi had a ghost of a smile on his face. "Care for a game then?" Snapping his fingers, another grunt walked in with a chessboard in hand. Behind him, two others carried a table into the room, carefully moving through the doorway. In seconds the set up was complete, with a table between the two of them, and the chessboard with all the pieces placed resting on the desk.

"Which piece do you prefer? Black or white?"

Lelouch jerked his head toward the black side. "I thought we could decide by our hair colours, if that's okay with you." The guards struggled to hide their smiles, but they failed, and turned their heads away. Shibungi ignored them, taking a seat opposite to the Demon Emperor. And with that, the game began.

It is said that when playing chess, two people can understand each other. Well, in the case of two intelligent people, this was certain. Lelouch arched an eyebrow when Shibungi moved a pawn forward, onto a square where his knight could easily capture it.

"There were other options," he stated, moving his knight so it overtook the pawn that had just been moved.

"Sacrifices must be made," was all the man said as he moved his bishop diagonally into position, where it could capture Lelouch's queen. Swiftly countering, Lelouch moved his queen where it captured a white rook. A few moments later into the game, Shibungi blinked in slight disbelief when Lelouch lifted his King.

"Moving your king?"

Lelouch's lips curled into a soft, nostalgic smile, twirling the King piece with his fingers. "If the king doesn't move, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

With that one simple statement, Shibungi's respect for the man before him went up. "Answer me just one question. Can we trust you with our lives? To help us when we need it? To do what you must do for success?"

The answer the veteran member of Funeral Parlour would receive would strike him to the core.

* * *

"So? What did he say earlier that made you freeze? I've never seen it form you before!" Tsugumi exclaimed, questioning Shibungi.

The silver haired man sighed, gazing up to the screen. Displaying the image of the black haired, violet eyed man, Shibungi let out another sigh. "I've never met anyone like him."

"C'mon Koala! What'd he say?"

"I'm curious too, seeing your reaction Shibungi," Argo said, Oogumo nodding in agreement.

Ayase, who was in the middle of reading something, looked up from her task, exclaiming, "So? Are you going to tell us or what?"

Catching Gai in the corner of his vision with a curious expression, Shibungi rolled his eyes (not that they could see). "He said: 'I am a man who destroys worlds, and creates them anew. What I do depends on which one you want me to do." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Because even demons have reasons for what they do."

Silence filled the room. Tsugumi had wide eyes, while Ayase blinked with confusion. Gai on the other hand, let himself smile a bit, for unknown reasons.

The mood was shattered when Tsuguimi whined, "Oh yeah, it was horrifying for me to watch with those glasses! Did we seriously have to make him wear Shibungi's glasses of all things? Ugh! He's such a hottie too!"

"T-tsugmi!" Ayase stuttered, appalled by her friend's. "What are you saying?"

The female hacker snorted. "Oh come on Ayase! You _know_ he's good looking! Those eyes! That hair! Even if he has feminine features, he's still _beautiful_." Tsugumi let out a dreamful sigh, gazing upwards. Ayase's cheeks were blushing, and she turned her head away, attempting to hide it. Oogumo and Argo snickered in amusement; well, Oogumo let out a rumble, but the higher members of the Undertakers knew that the large man was amused.

Even Gai was stifling his laughter, as his jaw was clenched tightly and his eyes filled with amusement. Shibungi, being one that wasn't amused easily, added, "Other than the fact that he killed a platoon of Endlaves with words."

"Sounds like Jesus to me," Argo muttered, causing laughter to erupt from Oogumo.

"Well, I do hope Jesus didn't kill," hissed Ayase. "Seriously Tsugumi, he's dangerous. Did you not see his eyes glowing?" Turning to face Gai, she asked, "Do you think he had a Void Genome? Did he use a Void?"

Gai shook his head. "Inori informed me that he didn't have the mark on his hand. We can safely conclude he doesn't have the Power of Kings."

"Did you see his Void though?" Shibungi questioned. "What form does his heart take?" The leader of the Undertakers didn't answer at first, causing some nervousness to grow in the room.

"Gai?"

His eyes looked downwards, staring at the floor. "I…I couldn't see it."

Silence.

One…two…three…four-

"WHAT?" Tsugumi's protest snapped the others out of their shock. "How! You can hide what your Void looks like?"

Gesturing a 'no' Gai answered, "Or he might not have one. Shibungi, he didn't deny being a foreigner, correct?" When the silver haired man nodded, Gai continued. "If he was from outside the country, and was recently brought here, then perhaps the Virus didn't cause his Void to manifest. Remember, only those who have been exposed to where the Virus thrives have their hearts manifested."

"But," Argo added, "He was malnourished. This guy must have been in the lab for days, weeks maybe. Who knows how long? But that would have been enough exposure to the Virus."

"Maybe that was why he was there in the first place?" Ayase suggested. "The fact his Void wouldn't manifest?"

Oogumo grunted, showing he wanted to talk. "I think it has to do with the eye thing. Perhaps they wanted to figure out why he had the ability or they experimented on him, giving it to him."

"Tsugumi, now that the base is still in a midst of recovering, try again to hack into their database and figure out who this 'Lelouch vi Brittania' really is," Gai ordered. "Ayase, you and Oogumo try to repair the Endlave. Argo, go get Inori for me."

"Yes" "Got it" "Leave it to me!" Various answers were given as members of Funeral Parlour exited the room, leaving Shibungi and Gai alone.

"So, regarding funding…"

Shibungi adjusted his glasses. "I'm still working on that."

Gai sighed. "We're running low on money. Without a sponsor, we'll deplete our sources soon."

"Any ideas?"

"None," Gai answered sadly, before a gleam passed over his eyes. "Actually…why not ask our prisoner?"

* * *

Asking Lelouch for ways to collect money was possibly the worst idea Gai had.

"Money?" Lelouch questioned, tilting his head to the side. "Why that's incredibly! Are there any Casinos nearby?"

Eyes narrowed at the former Emperor, not that they knew. "We. Are. Not. Gambling!" Gai hissed in anger.

Lelouch's eyes widened. "Why of course not!" he said, a look of horror on his face. "Why on earth would you gamble when you can simply beat the system?"

Shibungi blinked in surprise. "For example…counting cards?"

Lelouch nodded with fake enthusiasm. "Yes, exactly. I'm sure someone here is good with numbers." Shibungi found himself nodding in agreement. It wasn't a bad idea, the only problem was the fact all the Casinos in Roppongi were run by foreigners, in other words, GHQ. "Besides," Lelouch added, his tone darker. "You've gamble with people's lives before, for the sake of others. Surely playing with money will be far simpler?"

Neither Gai or Shibungi could disagree with the statement. It was impossible to lead a rebellion without taking risks, something the two of them had gotten used to. Still, the idea of risking people's deaths, in an alternate form of GHQ bases, displeased Gai greatly.

Surprisingly, Gai saw that Lelouch understood his uneasy feeling. "I can guess that the casinos are run by GHQ, who can take out anyone they want in there?" Lelouch asked distastefully. At his nod of agreement, Lelouch smiled, and added, "Which is why Shibungi will do the best form of gambling ever created!"

Shibungi and Gai shared looks, before turning to Lelouch. "Is it dangerous?"

"Er…possibly?" he answered, shrugging slightly. "Positioning people won't be difficult. Simply shoot anyone dangerous, and get the hell out of there."

Gai rolled his eyes at the blunt simplicity. "Alright, first, what exactly is this gambling we're talking about?"

The blond haired man did not like the grinning face of Lelouch, as though he was a child in a candy store. "Chess gambling."

The black haired genius almost laughed at the gobsmacked expression on Gai's face. "I don't think I heard that right," he sputtered out in shock. "Did you just say chess gambling?"

"In fact I did," Lelouch spoke with glee. "You don't know how many people believe they have skills in the game. I like to kill two birds with one boulder, by crushing their ego AND gaining money."

Gai turned to his associate. "Did you hear that? Explain how this is even possible."

Shibungi found himself nodding in agreement. "It's not a terrible idea. I believe I am capable of winning several matches. However, having never done this before, I do not know how difficult it will be."

"I'm sorry Lelouch, but there are far too many risks with this idea," Gai said, with a slight tone of apology.

Instead of the disappointed look he expected to receive, Lelouch merely nodded in agreement. "I understand. Which is why I should go and do it for you."

Before the prisoner could even elaborate, with a firm tone, Gai gave a big, "No."

"Why not?"

"What's stopping you from using your ability and running off who knows where?"

Lelouch arched an elegant eyebrow. "And exactly where would I go? I'm not familiar with this area as you already know, I have no money, _and_ GHQ is probably looking for me now that they now my abilities. I could have wandered off in this world, and they would have forgotten about me." His brow furrowed in slight rage. "But, instead of that, _I saved your lives. _You limited yourself to using only your men. Good commanders think outside the box. You owe me _Gai._"

The expression of Gai's face never wavered. "Using your ability-"

"Geass."

Blink. Blink again. "What?"

"It's called Geass," Lelouch said, nearly snarling. This time, a twitch could be seen from the leader of Funeral Parlour, possibly in fear or his own anger.

"Fine," Gai spat. "This _Geass_ of yours is hardly thinking outside of the box. That's simply using what you have. I hardly call that fair. However, do not misunderstand me. I _am_ grateful for your help. But until I know exactly _who _you are, _where _you are from, and _what _you are planning I cannot trust you." Gai gave Lelouch a menacing glare. _"You touch any of my men_…and I will _end you_ Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lips curled into another smirk. "Very well. However, the fact you didn't see my Plan B signifies your lack of experience."

Gai blinked in confusion. "Plan B?"

"In case my Geass didn't work of course," Lelouch answered nonchalantly, as if talking about the weather. "I had the man you call Oogumo prepare the rocket launcher to fire at the foundations of the building down in the sewers."

"And risk Inori's life in the process?" The blond haired man's voice was oozing with hatred directed at the former Emperor.

"But destroyed that entire platoon of those, _Endlaves,_" was the response Lelouch gave, his tone establishing what he thought about the war machines…and their incapability. "And I had that planned out as well, of course." He almost laughed at their incredulous expressions. "Did you not see the distance between the next building and the one we were on? If the building tilted over, although it would take very good timing and muscular ability," Lelouch grumbled, "we would have hopped onto the next building. Again Gai, whatever you have, think of one, two, twenty hundred different ways to use it."

His answer had honestly stunned Shibungi, who simulated the plan in his head. Recalling the details of the top floor, the glasses wearing man realized there had been only three sides with a railing. The side without the protective barrier faced the building Lelouch had mentioned. If Oogumo had fired correctly, which Shibungi believed he would have, then the building would collapse over, and just as the roofs passed each other, Lelouch and Inori could have simply leapt over.

Shibungi's eyes widened at the tactical genius of Lelouch. Roughly estimating, the building would have the tiniest gap of relatively three meters, and the falling structure would crush the Endlaves. Beside him, Gai came to the same realization, and felt an awe of respect for the monster before him, in both personality and genius.

"However," Lelouch began, snapping the other two men out of their thoughts. "I have to give credit for your leadership. The ambushes you laid out with only that much equipment and men were cleverly designed. You're a natural on the field, with your leadership and tactics."

Confused, Gai's eyes stared at Lelouch accusingly. "How did you know about the ambushes? You were on the other side of the area."

Lelouch only gave a small laugh at the question. "It's what I would have done in the situation."

At this, Gai also let out a small chuckle. "Let's go Shibungi, we're done here." With that, he began to walk to the door, abruptly stopping. "By the way Lelouch." Hearing his name, the violet eyed youth jerked his head in their direction. "When you said, 'The ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed'…there's more to it isn't there?"

Silence filled the room. Gai turned slightly to Lelouch, only to see his eyes downcast. Deciding it wasn't a important topic, he began to reach for the door, until he heard, "It means you are prepared to throw everything away. To lay your life on the line, throw away your innocence and truly see the hell that this world is." A gleam passed over Lelouch's violet orbs. "To see that this world needs a catalyst to change."

An awkward silence occurred this time, as Gai wasn't sure what to say for a moment. Gathering his thoughts, he spoke, "I think this world can be a heaven or a hell to anyone." For the first time, Gai saw a confused visage from Lelouch. "You can have a heaven, and when it is taken away from you that it becomes hell." Memories flashed through his head, and two names distinguished themselves.

_Shu. Mana._

"Or you can go through hell and change it using everything you have until it becomes heaven," Lelouch solemnly added. At that moment, the two grief filled people's eyes locked, and a sense of respect and understanding passed over them. It only took a second, however, both saw the loss and pain the other had been through.

Grabbing the handle, Gai opened the door and had nearly completely stepped outside, when he heard from inside the room, "By the way, nice acting earlier." A small laugh escaped from his lips as he walked down the hallway.

Gai and Shibungi walked down the hall in silence, neither speaking to the other. It was broken a moment later. "Shibungi, do you think you can teach the Undertakers to count cards?"

The silver haired man was somewhat confused. "Count cards? As in…Blackjack?"

Gai nodded. "Maybe this gambling thing isn't so bad, when it isn't all about luck."

* * *

**Bit shorter than the previous two chapters, and was bland I admit. Hope you still enjoyed it though. Watch for the next chapters, because we'll be seeing a time skip and the introduction of the **_**other**_ **main protagonist ;0 NightRaven, out. **


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